Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Codfish with cream / Bacalhau com natas

When you can't go to your parents' and they can't go to youour dog [not Cooper] had an emergency surgery and although he's fine he needs all the attention in the world right now: being 15 years old [times 7 equals 105: wow] is not easy -, what do you do?

"The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." Not in Portugal, though. It's everywhere!

Well, I cook mom's food, obviously! So, while I looked at the beautiful rain outside, I prepared tonight's dinner: codfish with cream.

First, boil 400g of flaked codfish and reserve the water.

Codfish: the traditional fish at Chrismas in Portugal.

Lightly fry about 500g of potatoes, cut in tiny cubes. I used Tefal's Actifry: my dearest ally in the fight against oily food and waste of money on oil, too.

No, this isn't the Portuguese Austerity version of 500g of potatoes. I just used half of it because I was cooking for 2.

Pour just a little olive oil in a pan, add 1 chopped onion and stir until it is soft. Take it out of the heat and add the codfish and the potatoes.

You will want to have less olive oil than what I show here. I really am an olive oil fan so sometimes I overdo it.

To make the white sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of margarine and 2 tablespoons of flour in a pan and keep stirring. Add a portion of the water you used to boil the codfish and stir until the cream feels uniform. Remove it from the heat and season it with black pepper, lemon juice and 250g of cream. I used soya cream, a lot lighter and an excellent a dairy-free alternative.

Le wooden spoon.

Pour the sauce into the pan over the onion, codfish and potatoes and then put the mixture in an ovenproof dish. Cover the top with breadcrumbs and bake in a pre-heated oven to 200ºC, just to get a golden surface.

The pre-holidays version.

The suntanned version.
Voilà. In my case, a great medicine against homesickness. And do you know what? As I was serving it, mom called: what an awesome coincidence!

***


Quando não podes ir aos teus pais e eles não podem ir ter contigo - o nosso cão [não o Cooper] foi submetido a uma cirurgia de emergência e embora esteja bem precisa de toda a atenção do mundo agora: ter 15 anos [vezes 7 igual a 105: wow] não é fácil -o que é que fazes?

Bem, eu cozinho comida da mamã, como é óbvio! Por isso, enquanto olhava para a chuva linda lá fora, preparei o jantar de hoje: bacalhau com natas.

Primeiro, coze 400g de bacalhau em lascas e guarda a água.
Frita cerca de 500g de batatas, cortadas em cubos pequenos. Usei a Actifry da Tefal: a minha melhor aliada na luta contra a comida oleosa e contra o desperdício de dinheiro em óleo.

Deita um pouco de azeite num tacho, junta 1 cebola picada e mexe até ter amolecido. Tira do lume e adiciona o bacalhau e as batatas.

Para fazer o molho brancoaquece 1 colher de sopa de margarina e 2 colheres de sopa de farinha num tacho e mexe. Junta uma porção da água que usaste para cozer o bacalhau e mexe até o creme parecer uniforme. Tira-o do lume e tempera com pimenta preta, sumo de limão e 250g de natas. Usei natas de soja, muito mais leves e uma excelente alternativa para quem não quer usar produtos lácteos.

Deita o molho no tacho por cima da cebola, do bacalhau e das batatas e coloca a mistura numa travessa de ir ao forno. Cobre com pão ralado e leva ao forno a 200ºC, só para dourar a superfície.

Voilà. No meu caso, um grande remédio contra as saudades de casa. E sabem que mais? Quando estava a servir, a minha mãe ligou: que coincidência espectacular!

18 comments:

  1. this looks incredible! I bet it made for a super scrumptious meal. :)

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    1. And for those who don't really like codfish, this is a good healthy way to eat it. :)

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  2. Nice recipe! I've seen something similar for salt cod, but never fresh. And this is so easy - I'll definitely have to give this a try. Thanks.

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  3. What a beautiful recipe for fish my friend, very fresh :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  4. This looks amazing! I love fish so I am going to have try this recipe.

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    1. Even kids who make funny faces when they see fish on a plate usually like this, since it is sort of hidden. Thank you for your visit!

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  5. Hope your dog heals soon! I love the sound of this recipe :)

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    1. Thank you, Tandy. He was supposed to take the protective collar out yesterday but the vet advised against it. Well, it's only natural due to his old age. I know he's playful given the circumstances so ... let's see. :)

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  6. That looks fantastic! And I love the "suntanned" version :P I hope your dog gets better soon :)

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    1. Thank you! Some people add cheese and a bit of nutmeg on top. Those are also great options, though I think the breadcrumbs contrast with the rich cream better and give it balance.

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  7. This creamy dish looks so delicious!! I sure would love to cook this sometime. My kids would definitely like this.

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    1. :D I'm sure they will! They won't even notice they're having fish (when they "think" they don't like it, tricking them is sometimes the quicker option, isn't it?)

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  8. Ai Alex... e é tão bom ir comer a casa da mamã, não é ? :-)

    Seja como for, o seu bacalhau com natas ficou excelente, comuma cor lindíssima, é um prato que eu muito gosto...
    A verdade é que bacalhau vai sempre bem ! :-)

    Beijinhos

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    1. É mesmo! É engraçado: os pratos que mais me habituei a comer na minha mãe sou incapaz de comer num restaurante. Fico sempre com aquela sensação que a estou a "trair". :D

      Beijinhos! ;)

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